Shaadi 3 Crore Ki replaces Zor Ka Jhatka on Imagine TV

The channel will also launch a new bi-weekly property based on the historical character Chandragupta Maurya, on March 11.

Imagine TV is surely leaving no stone unturned to upgrade its viewership base.

After roping in Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan with Zor Ka Jhatka, the channel is now gearing up to lure the audience with an extravagant and emotional phenomenon for Indians - weddings!

The channel launched its new reality property, Shaadi 3 Crore Ki, on February 28, as a fresh replacement for Zor Ka Jhatka. The new show will occupy the 9-10 pm slot, from Monday to Thursday.

Interestingly, this time, unlike the shows of Rahul Mahajan or Rakhi Sawant, the wedding format does not look at finding a bride or a groom for a celebrity, but gets a real regular couple on board - Jasmeet and Ishu. As per the show format, the 'lucky couple' will get Rs 3 crore to organise a grand wedding.

Through each episode, Imagine TV will take the audience through the entire wedding preparations, and finally, host the concluding nuptial ceremony.

Mona Singh and Ali Asgar will host the show, which will run till the end of March.

Why the need for such a format?

Imagine TV, which is now a part of the Time Warner stable, used Zor Ka Jhatka as the driver property to build up its 9 pm prime time band through increased sampling, consequently improving its reach and awareness. Now, the channel aims to improve stickiness through the new property.

Speaking to afaqs!, Nikhil Madhok, senior director, marketing and communications, Imagine TV, says, "While the format of Swayamvar looked at hunting for the right partner for the show's protagonist, followed by the wedding finale, this format looks at sketching out the entire journey towards the ceremony, and then telecasting the grand wedding itself."

Madhok further notes that weddings in our country are full of fun and celebrations. "At one level, this show is voyeuristic and invites viewers to witness an extremely opulent wedding, where each function and ritual is larger than life. On another level, it gets the viewer thinking about how they would have spent the money if they had received it. There is a universal connect and an inherent stickiness in the concept," he says.

Meanwhile, the channel will also launch a new bi-weekly property based on the historical character Chandragupta Maurya. The show will be rolled out on March 11 and will be aired at 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Eventually, Imagine TV intends to introduce fiction shows in the 9 pm slot, from Monday to Thursday. "Our fiction shows already have their own set of loyal viewers. We intend to grow that base. The eight weeks of non-fiction (Zor Ka Jhatka and Shaadi 3 Crore Ki) on the channel has helped and will help to draw audiences to sample the channel. Now, as the viewers get used to coming back to the channel, we will look at bringing fiction properties for the 9 pm band to further help us get new viewers," says Madhok.